CRESWELL, Ore. – The Oregon State men’s golf team battled through a long, 36-hole day of golf on Monday and sits in first place at the 25th Annual and 16-team Duck Invitational with the final 18 holes slated for Tuesday.

Oregon State has three players among the top six in the 88-player field, which helped the Beavers take the clubhouse lead through 36 holes with a 6-over 292-290-582 at the par-72, 7,165-yard Emerald Valley Golf Course. Host Oregon is two strokes back with an 8-over 584, Loyola Marymount is third with a 9-over 585 and Minnesota is fourth with a 12-over 588.

Those four teams will be paired together in Tuesday’s final round, which begins at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start. Admission is free to the public.

“We challenged the guys to keep their focus for the entire 36 holes and they did a great job,” Oregon State head coach Jon Reehoorn said. “In the middle of the round this afternoon we almost lost it. But they kept their composure and finished off the day very well.”

The Beavers have won 36 team titles in school history with the most recent coming in September 2012 at the Mark Simpson Invitational in Erie, Colo. Oregon State won the Duck Invitational in 1998.

Junior Alex Franklin sits in sole fifth place with an even-par 72-72-144, and sophomore Brian Jung and freshman Kevin Murphy are tied for sixth with a 1-over 145, as Jung carded a 74 in the morning and a 71 in the afternoon and Murphy posted a 72 and 73.

Franklin had two birdies and two bogeys in the first round and four birdies and four bogeys after the lunch break, Murphy leads the field in par-4 scoring (-1) and is third in pars (28) and Jung was one of only five players to record an eagle with his coming on the par-5 seventh hole in the morning round.

Oregon State has the clubhouse lead despite an off day by its best player, senior David Fink, who took a triple in the morning and a double in the afternoon that left him with a 6-over 74-76--150. Junior Scott Kim also shot a 6-over 76-74--150 that puts both players in a tie for 40th place.

“As I’ve talked about a few times, the key to our success the rest of the year will be getting contributions from our fifth and today Brian Jung was huge,” Reehoorn said. “We’ve got a chance to win a golf tournament without David Fink playing well. I’m confident he will be ready to go tomorrow and the guys will be ready for the challenges coming their way.”

Byron Meth of Pacific has the individual lead with a 3-under 141, while Jose Mendez of Minnesota is second with a 2-under 142 and Colorado’s Jeremy Paul and Oregon’s Sulman Raza are tied for third with a 1-under 143.